Best Rappers of All Time

The Top Ten

1EminemEminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce ...read more.

Best flow, best lyrics, best beats, best singing, voice, best rapper ever he's best artist ever. Both of his personality, slim shady and Marshall Mathers, are great to listen to. He has a song for whatever mood your in, If you need to get pumped up listen to Till I Collapse

I agree with this comment. What blows my mind is HOW DID THIS COMMENT GET 8000 THUMBS UP? HOW? - cosmo

Em is easily #1 his first 3 albums (sslp mmlp and eminem show) showed rap fans a style never heard before. His metaphors and word play are crazy and his lyrics are probably the best ever. He was the first rapper to blow up from the underground battling scene and he always talks about real stuff unlike Wayne and all the other mainstream rappers. Hell the sequel is gonna be insane! SHADY 4 LIFE!

Eminem's life made him who he is today, one of the greatest of all time, when I listen to his songs he reminds me of pac, biggie & rakim, one of the greatest of all time and the best rapper alive

They remind you of biggie and Tupac? In what way are they similar to Eminem? But yeah I agree I loved Lose Yourself and My name is. And. I thought My Mom was kind of funny of a song - FerrariDude64

2TupacTupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was an American rapper and actor born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York. Tupac sold over 75 million records worldwide and has been referred to in multiple major publications such as Rolling Stone as one of the greatest music artists of all time. 2Pac was ...read more.

Enough said! Tupac's a community dude.. Rapping for the people, it doesn't get better than that. Eminem is great agreed! But tupac gives a whole new meaning to what rapping is supposed to be about.

He is only one of the ultimate, honest as well as Gangsta rapper standing alone for the people who is suffering... His lyrics, flow and husky voice has inspired me and he will be remaining the no1 rapper till the end of time...R.I.P. leasane parish crooks...

I agree. Listening to tupac's music is like a journey through his life and thoughts. By the way I started listening to tupac a while after he died, I actually started listening to eminem first. Tupac treats rap as what it should be, an art-form, not just entertainment. Poetry not nursery rhymes, intellect more so than wit. Even in his casual songs strictly for entertainment he still displays a tremendous level of talent. He is immensely passionate about his poetry and has something real to say.

Tupac will forever be the greatest rapper ever... Period!Followed by Nas...

This man is so overrated its insane, Tupac was not a revolutionary rapper, biggie did it better, and got less credit. - classicrap

3Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage name, The Notorious B.I.G (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls), is consistently ranked as one of the best rappers of all time. The Notorious B.I.G was born May 21, 1972, he was born in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 24 The Notorious B.I.G was murdered ...read more.

His raps are genius, you can actually picture what he's saying... Story to tell, hypnotize are his top

***His raps are genius, you can actually picture what he's saying... JUICY, EVERYDAY STRUGGLE are his top - guitar

He is one of the only 5 Rappers that have reached Diamond...

The Best...R.I.P.B.I.G.

Sorry its a disgrace that Lil wayne be put above him.. Long live The Flow. Biggie was to the East Coast what 2Pac was to the West Coast. Biggie released the Hip Hop classics "Ready to Die" and "Life After Death" and became a Hip Hop icon. He changed the way an MC flows, and stopped everyone in their tracks when he dropped his verse on "Notorious Thugs" using the Bone Thugs style better than they did themselves. Also one of the great storytellers in Hip Hop, The Notorious One had every element an MC could dream of. Would have easily been number 1 if not for his untimely death in 1997.

4NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper. His album, Illmatic, is considered to be one of the best rap albums of all time. He is also considered to be one of the best rappers of all time.

Knowledge and lyricism, A MC not just a Rapper.He knows brings discussions, He did that with hip hop is dead and the untitled albumHe gives you something to think about. He knows the history of hip hop and gives a strong answer to commercial rappers of today.

Old Skool MC KRS ONE praised him and brought a tribute to him. He is respected by Rakim and Slick rick!He influenced A lot of rappers in the 90 and today. Think about Jay Z, Tupac, Common, Kanye west, Talib Kweli, Eminem.

A Poet! A Rebel, A MC, A Storyteller. Nas brings Oldsckool and New Skool together.

Nas takes his lyrics to a high level of intelligence so not every one will get it or appreciate his unique lyrics, but his message is alive and real. His collaborations with Damion Marley puts this artist to a new and higher interpretation which stands out! The education is real so don't throw away the meal.

Let’s face it... without illmatic, hip hop would have died off like disco and glam did before, but that album cemented hip hop forever. And not to say his other albums are trash either; it was written, hip hop is dead, distant brothers, and life’s good are all near the same range as his debut, and his other albums are still better than many other rappers best. So just listen to any of his songs, and you’ll understand why he should be #1.

5Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter, known by his stage name JAY-Z, is an American rapper, entrepreneur and investor. He is best known for his album Reasonable Doubt.

Jay Z is not only one of the best rappers STILL in the game, but he's also one of the most successful men on this planet. Coming from the streets, he turned himself into a business man. He's discovered most of the greatest talents in the industry today. He discovered Kanye. Nobody thought Kanye could rap till Hova supported him. Jay has been putting music out for the past 19 years. What rapper can stay relevant for that long? This dude is in his 40s. And with age, his lyrics have grown. He went from a 90s thug, making freestyles about killing cops with Big L to being one of the most influential artists in pop culture today. Listen to one song on Magna Carta Holy Grail, and you'll be scratching your head to the lyrics. You look up what he's talking about and you realize that Jay Z is a lyricist like no other. He's getting to the point where his music is almost art. Can he spit fast like Eminem? No, but he's got a style that surpasses speed. And the only reason Tupac and Biggie are ...more

Okay okay, his old stuff was pretty damn good. But "STILL in the game"? Are you kidding? He hasn't written his own lyrics for 10 years. He's the perfect example of how the rap game is going downhill. Tupac spat things that were way more intelligent and revolutionary and Biggie destroys him in lyricism and flow. I remind you they were the most famous... BEFORE their deaths. They. Ruled.

Oh, AND he found Kanye? Well thanks a lot for bringing another piece of garbage like you to the rap game, Jay. - Realpbc

Tupac and Biggie were undoubtably great rappers, Tupac had the lyrics and Biggie had the flow. BUT, Jay has sustained his talent over a number of years by adapting his whole style as time goes on. I know it's unfair to make this point seeing as Tupac and Biggie unfortunately died, but in my opinion, both rappers wouldn't have been able to sustain themselves like jay z has done.

6Dr. DreAndre Romelle Young, better known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics.

Alright, Dr. Dre has definitely contributed the most to hip hop out of everyone on this list by far. Two start off, he made two of the most classic rap albums ever; 2001 and The Chronic. Anyone who disagrees just has to listen to them. Also he was part of the best rap group ever NWA. He also made the careers of Game, Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop and even contributed to the Nas career. He is wildly known as the best producer/beat maker ever. He is the best rapper alive.

He's the father of the hip-hop industry, not being the first hip-hop artist, but having the biggest impact of any artist. He's brought us some of the best, and he's still on top of the game today, working with the best new-school rapper, Kendrick Lamar. No one can take more credit for the history of hip-hop. - its_joetime

If it wasn't for him rap would be so much different.. He belongs at 1 or 2, along with eminem

Dre should definitely be higher up, he is the most influential rapper ever, with classics like 2001 and the chronic. My two favourite songs of all time are 'nuthin but a g thang' and 'still dre'. I've looked down this list and seen will smith, lil wayne, chris brown, drake, John cena, soulja boy etc. , which just makes this a joke of a list straight away! This frustrates me! DETOX!

Dr dre was not a revolutionary rapper, he was a great producer, but he barely wrote any of 2001, and only wrote a chunk of the chronic. He is not above rakim, it is silly to think so - classicrap

Why are any of the guys ahead of him. Nas, biggy, and Eminem are the only ones ahead of Rakim that are even close to as good as Rakim. And to anyone who is thinking of voting for Eazy-E they should know Ice Cube ghostwrote for him and Kool G Rap is the real godfather of gangster rap not eazy he doesn't even make my top 100 much less 20. - Chris-1

The man made the standard for being an MC and he still continues to extend his legacy and to put all these bitch ass rappers like lil wayne and 50 ahead of him is a travesty and a spit in the face of all true hip hop fans

This whole voting circus clearly shows when the majority of these visitors here started listening to real rap/hip hop. Anybody who is in 40's now like me has seen the start of this music style and has listened long enough to actually be a fair judge.

Rakim is in a league of his own, and boy it's lonely at the top! A lyrical genius that can actually rap a complete album without having to default to swearing, now that's impressive...

He's probably too lyrical for most who cannot comprehend it all and prefer to listen to Mc's that fill albums with chrome rims and bitches.

Just look at the fact that it's the most sampled MC of all time, even to this day you hear powerful one liners of Rakim in modern day Rap. Coupled to a great DJ like Eric B or Primo he cannot be stopped and I'm certain he can take on ANY modern day rapper at any time.

Hat off to the God of Rap who remained the same even to this day.

Rakim is the greatest mc of all time, sporting 4 classic albums, 2 not as known but just as good albums, another album that was great, just under the radar, and some of the greatest lyrics of all time. Rakim would have had my vote, but DOOM was way to low on the list for him not to get it. - classicrap

9Ice CubeO'Shea Jackson, born June 15, 1969, known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and filmmaker. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the seminal gangster rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built ...read more.

The Fact that Ice Cube is 24 and Lil Wayne is 2 makes me want to punch somebody Ice cube is the best S. Ice Cube was the definition of Microphone Controller.

Ice Cube is a veteran in the game, but also has had a rich career and diverse with it! NWA was his stage and did everything in his power to make everything he did (still does) look so good!

Ice Cube was one of the front men of N.W.A. , one of the pioneers of Gangster Rap, has produced a lot of singles and platinum albums, has a very successful acting and movie producing career! Has a lot of money and is one of the faces of West Coast Hip-Hop! Is this is enough? There is plenty more

The Newcomers

The Contenders

Kendrick Lamar is 182? You guys are flat out idiots. This list is way past being a joke. Its an insult to RAP and Hip Hop.

Thank goodness Kendrick elevated from 182 to 14. It's about time we show this man respect. - yaygiants16

Kendrick Lamar in my opinion is one of the best rappers in the game right now. His rediculous flow in rigamortus amazes me as well as his 100% beast flow in look out for detox. The way he slays every track he features makes the actual artist who made the song look small compared to his lyrical thunder. Don't believe me? Just check out the song The City by The Game or Text Book Stuff by XV. This MC is a monster and for many in 2011 he made his first album Section 80 that was by far the best album of the year for many. Also checkout his song Cartoons and Cereal. For kendrick to be in 98th place as the best rapper is a shame for he is definitely better then overrated Eminem and should be in first. This is only the start of Kendricks career. Wonder what he'll put out next.

P. S kendrick lamar and J Cole collab album in the future.

78? This is a joke right? Kendrick is one of if not the most talked about artists at the moment. After releasing a brilliant album in Section.80, he signed with Dr. Dre to Aftermath and just recently put out his major label debut, good kid, M.A.A. D city. That album is a future classic. Honestly, Kendrick's style is very similar to 2Pac. Deep lyrics with a meaning, which make him easy to relate to. The one thing Kendrick has that 2Pac didn't really have is the ability to be one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Not to mention his crazy and unique flow/delivery. Kendrick is the future and is sure to be one of the best by the time he's done. Mark my words.

Kendrick Lamar is the best rapper right now and is one of the greatest of all time. Singles like "HUMBLE." "King Kunta" "Rigamortis" and "Swimming Pools" have cemented him as one of the best in my book. - hiphopgod

12Kanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, songwriter, and fashion designer. He was born on June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. After West's parents divorced, him and his single mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 10, West temporarily moved to Nanjing, China, because his mother was teaching ...read more.

Listen to my beautiful dark twisted fantasy and you wouldn't even think about voting another rapper! Only lupe fiasco is almost as good as 'ye!

Kanye isn't only a rapper but he is a musician who has that cross-over appeal. He's a dope producer too and that's why he has to be in everyone's top five yo. Respect!

Really? 13? This is the guy that brought you:1. Gold digger2. Stronger3. Touch the sky4. Good life5. Diamonds from Sierra Leone6. Jesus walks7. PowerI won't go on... Do I need to? He's worked with Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, T-Pain, Adam Levine, John Legend, Jay Z...His albums are IMMENSE and basically, no matter what you do, YOU CAN'T BEAT KANYE WEST

He has his own record label and has john legend in it and big sean - DattKiddGeorge

13Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. is an American hip hop "artist" and is often referred to as one of the worst "rappers" of all time. He was signed to Cash Money Records by Birdman at a young age. He has been critically acclaimed and even more panned throughout his career. He's often criticized for talking ...read more.

Lil Wayne is the worst rapper ever. He sounds like he has a sore throat. Lil Wayne has been big because of white middle class suburban people who don't know real rap. He is also the biggest liar in rap history. Out of all the rappers who have rapped about stuff they have never come close to doing, Lil Wayne is the worst. He raps wbout how he is a "real g" and how he shoots people. But the only person he ever shot was himself, and that was his only arrest. He set the bar so low for rap, that this allowed people like iggy azalea to come in and ruin rap.

Get this thing off the list. Lil Wayne is not an artist. He's a monkey who eats the mic and chokes on it. His music is the worst. So get him out of the top 10. - Antwon

Doesn't belong in this list or any list for that matter. Couldn't hang with real rappers.

I don't understand all of this hate coming at Wayne. He has some of the most memorable bars in rap history. His lyrics are so clever and he uses words in such a smart way. He is top 10 in my book. - etbbbb

14Eazy-EEric Lynn Wright better known by his stage name "Eazy-E", was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. He is affectionately called "The Godfather of Gangsta Rap". He was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California. On March 26, 1995 Eazy-E dies from complications ...read more.

He deserves respect for his talented skills and my favorite rapper R.I. P

He definitely deserves to be in the top 3 he is the King of Gangster Rap, he literally co founded G-Funk

Eazy e is awesome, he is the most legendary rapper that have ever lived. Not only did he start N.W.A he also got the most smashing solo career ever. By the way I like Eminem but eminem would never been here if it wasn't for the godfather of rap.

15Big LLamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999), best known by his stage name Big L, was an American hip hop recording artist, born and raised in Harlem, New York City, New York. Coleman embarked on his career in rapping, with the hip hop trio, Three the Hard Way. His first notable appearance came ...read more.

Lyrical talent... Plus you can't kill him he was born dead

I can't believe that Drake, Will Smith, EZ, Snoop, 50, or a lot of other rappers are on this page. In my opinion it should go Big L, GZA, Biggie, Eminem, Pac. Gotta put all Wu Tang up there on flow and lyrical ability... Except ODB he still killed it though

Can't consider him the best all time cause there just ain't enough of his material... But he definitely could have been =/

17Andre 3000André Lauren Benjamin, known by his stage name André 3000, is half of the hip-hop duo OutKast. He is widely considered to be the better half of the duo, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time.

I like his rap style. Great flow good lyrics. And he sold a lot of records great all around rapper

Are you people serious, this guy is one of the top ten rappers of all time at least. At 110 this is absurd. And where in the hell is Big Boi.

Should be in the top fifty and is way better than most people aheadList is dumb(Lil Wayne at 3? )

18Immortal TechniqueFelipe Andres Coronel, better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and urban activist from Lima, Peru.

Immortal is a beast. Easily the most underrated rapper on the list and should be in the top 6 or 7 instead of Wayne or 50. Just listen to industrial revolution and you'll see what I mean.

I WAS SPEECHLESS WHEN I HEARD DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

The guy speaks of all the smart stuff that other people are scared to rap about, that's why he is underrated, his flow isn't the best but rap requires poetic skills, he is the lyrical giant!

Why are Kanye West or Eazy-E even on this list? Eazy didn't write his own songs.Why are TI, Andre and 50 Cent above immortal Technique? Has anybody actually listened to this guys music? he should be second best, no contest.

19KRS-OneLawrence "Kris" Parker, better known by his stage names KRS-One, and Teacha, is an American rapper and occasional producer from The Bronx, New York City, New York.

Lil Wayne? Really? I love reading all the comments that say Lil Wayne or Drake or Wiz Khalifa should be number 1, it's just so funny! Rakim, Nas, Big L, KRS-One, 2Pac, Biggy, Big Daddy Kane, Percee P, Big Pun, Slick Rick, Kool G Rap, Immortal Technique put a BULLET in your fake rappers. Laugh out loud at all these people saying, "yo dawg, wayne is the truth man, listen to his lyrics man, they're so deep and he kills everyone else, even 2pac dawg" Man, hip-hop is dead in the mainstream, DEAD. You're not listening to rap anymore, its just garbage pop with people thinking they're hard. It's okay kiddies keep drinking the kool-aid that these "rappers" feed you, it's all good.

He And Edo G with Ace in Art & ent. Show what the hip hop is. He is about the true school. He talking about emceing dying about breakers about graffiti about RAP and HIP HOP not about fake fame that giving money. I don't even guess how such a bustards as lil wayne could appear in this list He Is Not A Rapper! He Is Pop artist (far from best). One Day I'll meet KRS-one to say him what I do and show him that I wanna put the DJ's on your screens. Dj and MC do Rap!

Will work any rapper on this planet in a freestyle battle. Period the ultimate no contest no competition. Intellectual, technical, unearthly stage presence, can battle anyone on the planet. His best quality? Keeping it real he could sell out and sell more albums than any sucker MC rocking out on mtv, but has too much integrity.

20Big PunChristopher Lee Rios, better known by his stage name Big Pun, was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in The Bronx borough of New York City, in the early 1990s, he was the first Latino rapper to have an album certified platinum as a solo act. ...read more.

Can't believe Pun ain't in the Top 10 (yet)! For me he definitely is one of the best - if not THE BEST. EVER!

Hands down ain't no one and I mean no one can come up with the bars he comes up with underground battle mainstream you name it he did it and better he was featured on more mc cd mix tapes underground to prove one point ain't noe * with me! He put the best mc of that time on one track and killed it better no doubt pun is #1

Big Pun the best lyricist alive on his time. Gotta give him props! First Puerto Rican to ever hit Platinum.

Capital Punishment is some of the best lyricism and flow displayed in all of hip hop. Add his features and freestyles and there is no question he is top 5 dead or alive.